Rate of Teen Pregnancy

Youth Risk Behavior

Rate of Teen Pregnancy

What does this measure?

The number of pregnancies among females ages 15 to 19, expressed as a percentage of females in that age group.

Why is this important?

Pregnancy can derail a young woman's life, preventing her from furthering her education or growing up to be self-sufficient. Babies born to teen mothers are at higher risk of having a low birth weight and of infant mortality compared to babies born to older mothers. They are also at risk of lower cognitive development, poor educational outcomes and living in poverty.

How is our region performing?

In 2015, the rate of teen pregnancy in the 9-county region was 2%. Rates in Monroe and the surrounding counties have all declined since 2000 (ranging from 35% lower in Orleans to 75% lower in Livingston). Livingston, Ontario and Yates Counties had the lowest rate in 2015 at 1%, while Monroe and Orleans had the highest regional rates at 3%.
The City of Rochester's teen pregnancy rate was 6% in 2015, down from 2014; the rate has fallen steadily from its peak of 16% in 2008.

Notes about the data

Rates do not represent a unique count of pregnancies-a female may have more than one pregnancy within a given year. City of Rochester data not available from 2000 - 2005. New York State data not available for 2015 due to NYC not reporting.

Topic Indicators

Featured Indicator

The number of children under 18 living below the federally defined poverty line, expressed as a percentage of all children under 18 and reported by various racial and ethnic groups. Poverty thresholds vary by family composition and year. In 2016, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $24,339.